Safety batring garment and life preserver



Feb. 13, 1934. K. GUNTHER SAFETY BATHING GARMENT AND LIFE PRESERVERFiled Nov. 19, 1932 INVENTOR [fly/0a 62/72770 ATTORNEYS Patented F eb.13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE Konrad Gunther, Detroit, Mich.

Application November 19, 1932 Serial No. 643,354

:3 Claims.

The present invention pertains to a novel device designed to promote thesafety of bathers, swimmers and persons who are compelled to take to thewater in an emergency such as shipwreck. The principal object of thisinvention is to provide a :device of this character which may be readilyinflated and which maintains a neat appearance whether inflated or not.

The matter of appearance is recognized as important in the vicinity ofbathing resorts whether the wearer be on land or in the water. Thedevice is so constructed that, when defiated, it is free from theexposed sagging appearance and is hardly distinguishable from anyordinary garment. To this end the inflatable portion of the garment isof two plies with flexible or non-flexible stays connecting the twopiles of material. The outer ply is of larger dimensions than the innerto allow it to be moulded or shaped into pleats or fulness, suiting theprevailing mode, over the inner when in a deflated condition and thuspresent a neat and satisfactory appearance. Inflation therefore islimited by pleats and stays combined, so that it is uniform and theouter fabric is spaced uniformly from the inner fabric throughout,thereby avoiding an irregular and bulging appearance.

The invention further embodies means for dividing the garment intoseparate, air-tight cornpartments, so that accidental leakage from onecompartment does not affect the other. This and other incidentalcharacteristics of the invention are described in the detailedspecification.

The safety garment may be used as a separate vest or as an integral partof a bathing suit. As a separate member, it may be buttoned or other-Wise fastened to the main garment, if desired. Its length or shape atthe bottom edges being a matter of individual choice, enhancement ofoutline or ornamentation.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the followingdescription and in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure ,1 is anelevation of the flattened out front of a garment according to theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation varying the lines at the bottom edges,surplus material pleated at the lower edges and armholes and showingcommunicating areas;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the garment in inflated condition;

Fig. 5 is a similar section of the garment in a deflated condition;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the buckle or clasp; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the air valve.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characterswhich are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figures 1 and 2 is illustrated a garment 1 in the form of a vest orbodice which may be worn separately, integral with, or attached to anordinary bathing suit or which may be, or appear to be, the upper partof a long garment such as a pair of trousers, drawers or skirt. Thefastening of the separate bodice l to the body of the wearer, or themeans of attachment to the lower part pf the garment may be anythingthat is suitable for the purpose.

The garment 1 embodies two plies of cloth or other fabric indicated bythe numerals 2 andB in Figure 4. The material may be water-proofedfabric or other substance adapted to contain air without appreciableleakage. Flexible or nonfiexible stays or straps {i are secured betweenthe walls 2 and 3 in order to limit expansion of the outer fabric 3 whenthe intervening space is inflated in the manner presently described.

An inflation tube is mounted in communication with the space 6 betweenthe walls 2 and 3 and is disposed at any suitable or convenient part ofthe garment. In the example illustrated, it is mounted in the forwardpart of the neck opening where it may be held, ready for instant use,under a strap, fastened to the outside, to resemble a bow as at 7 or anyneat looking ornament of similar nature. The outer part of the tube 5 isenlarged to form a substantially conical chamber 8 over which isthreaded or cemented a mouthpiece 9 and between tube 5 and mouthpiece 9is set a flap-valve 10, adapted to close against the comparatively smallpassage 11 in the mouthpiece 9, but any check-valve may serve thepurpose. The air chambers are obviously inflated by blowing into themouthpiece 9, whereupon the valve 10 opens into the chamber 8 to permitflow of air into the tube 5. When the blowing is discontinued, thepressure in the tube '5 holds the valve 10 against the passage 11, sothat escape of air from space 6 is prevented. A cap 12 may be screwed tothe free end of the tube 9 or it may be left open for easier access incase of emergency.

On inflation, the garment assumes the condition shown in Figure 4,wherein the outward bulging of the outer fabric 3 is limited by thestays 4. Thus, the outer surface of the inflated garment iscomparatively uniform and smooth and is spaced in open position by awire or stick inserted in only slightly from the inner wall 2. By thismeans, a neat and inconspicuous appearance of the inflated garment ispreserved. At the sides, the two walls are preferably fastened togetheras indicated by numeral 13, in Figures 2 and 4, thereby dividing thegarment into two compartments or three compartments if the garment has afront opening. A similar division may be made in the center back orfront if the opening is on the shoulder. The joint between back andfront portions terminates short of the edge of the garment, leaving anopening which permits communication between what would otherwise beseparate compartments. It will also be seen in Figure 1 that the stays,if arranged vertically, but which may be arranged any way to suitpossible exigencies, terminate short of the outer edges of the garment,as indicated by the numeral 14, to avoid air tight subdivisions of thecompartments. Thus, the single tube 5 is sufiicient for inflation of thewhole garment. The lower edge of the vest shown in Figure 2 is suitablyshaped and pleated as indicated by the numeral 3.

The point of communication between the compartments is obviously in linewith joint 13 at each side and is indicated by the numeral 15 in Figure2. In order to complete this joint, (which would be unnecessary if thegarment is made with a single chamber only) extending over the entirearea at this point after inflation, there is provided a buckle or claspof the type shown in Figures 3 and 6. This device embodies a rectangularframe of wire or any desirable material 16 with a closed loop 17 at oneend and an open loop 18 at the other end. A U-shaped pin member 19, isalso provided, with its ends adapted to be received respectively in theloops 1'7 and 18 as illustrated in Figure 6. The depth of the U- shapedmember is greater than half the width of the frame 16 for the purposewhich will be presently described.

The frame 16 is applied vertically along the open portion 15 and on theinside of the garment, with one loop projecting beneath the lower edgeof the garment and the other loop projecting through a button hole orslot 20 formed through the garment at the end of joint 13. The member 19is placed at the outer surface of the garment and pressed into the frameuntil its ends may be inserted in the loops 1'? and 18. The buckle andmaterial held thereby are then in the position as illustrated in Figure3. The pin 19 may turn on its axis defined by the loops 17 and 18 at themidpoints of the ends of the frame and lie fiat, but cannot swing out ofthe frame because its depth is greater than half the width of the frame.The final position of the pin is shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

The device may be deflated by removing the cap 12, if such there be, andholding the valve the mouthpiece 9. But for convenience a separateopening 21 with a screw cap 22 is provided which may be placed on anyconvenient location, preferably beneath the outer overlap at the front.On deflation, the stays obviously collapse and the outer material 3 isthereby caused to fall in the form of pleats as shown in Figure 5, orwhatever shape it was originally moulded to. The two plies of materialat the joints 15 are of equal size so as to prevent any possible leakagefrom one compartment to another.

Because of the neat appearance of the garment when deflated, it maybeused for street wear as well as on the beaches and in the water. As abathing suit, it is desirable because of the moderate expansion orinflation as already described. It may also be carried on vessels as alife preserver. If it should become partially deflated by slow leakagewhile the wearer is in the water, the wearer may blow more air into itbecause of the proximity of the filling tube 9 to his mouth. Further,because of the separation of the device into compartments leakage fromone compartment does not affect the others, and the garment stillremains buoyant. For total deflation, the buckles 16-19 are obviouslyremoved.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that various alterations in the detailsof construction may be made without departing from the scope of theinvention, as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

I. An inflatable garment comprising two plies of material, the outer plyof which material is larger than the inner, stays secured to and betweensaid plies to limit expansion of the outer ply on inflation, j ointsformed in said garment and substantially dividing the interior thereofable clasps applicable to said areas for completely obstructingcommunication therethrough.

3. An inflatable garment comprising two plies of air-tight material, theouter ply of which is larger than the inner, stays secured to andbetween said plies to limit the expansion of the out er ply oninflation, joints formed in said garment and substantially dividing theinterior thereof into a plurality of compartments while leavingcomparatively small areas of communication between such compartments,detachable clasps applicable to said areas for completely obstructingcommunication therethrough, a filling tube communicating with one ofsaid compartments, and a check valve in said tube.

KONRAD GUNTHER.

